Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 26, 1915.djvu/207

 Collectanea. 197

short time (twenty four hours I think it was) she was perfectly well (^).

A garden or hay fork seems to have been a favourite weapon for those who were bold enough to tackle a person possessed of the evil eye. For obvious reasons the names in this and other stories are fictitious.

In the Forest Parish there dwelt a man, Le Page, who was invited to a wedding. On the day, arrayed in his best, he left the house, but on his way he met a neighbour, whom we will call Bourgaize, who owed him a grudge because he said that, while " vraiking " down at Vazon, Le Page had taken some vraic from his pile while he was carrying a load away. He asked Le Page where he was going, and then muttered something. Le Page continued his way, and arrived at his destination, and greeting his host he sat down by a friend who, after a moment's talk, leant forward and said, " Where on earth have you been ? " " What do you mean?" asked Le Page. "Look at your shirt front," replied the friend, and looking down the unfortunate man saw a number of lice crawling over his white shirt. He jumped up horrified, and hurriedly departed home, where he undressed, his sister, who lived with him, getting him an entirely fresh set of clothes, as the ones he took off were swarming with lice. He was sure that Bourgaize had "overlooked" him, but deciding that he would not be done out of his pleasure, once more set out to the party. He had not gone a hundred yards or so upon his way when he again felt and saw the horrible creatures upon him. In a rage Le Page turned back home and, telling his sister he would make Bourgaize- sorry for himself, seized a large garden fork and rushed off to the latter's dwelling. Le Page in a fury told him that unless he removed the curse he would kill him, even if he was afterwards hung for murder. "And he would have done it too," said my informant, " for he was a man who saw red at times." Well, he managed to convince Bourgaize that he meant what he said, and the man waved his hand, said something, and immediately Le Page felt the lice no more — neither could he see any. Bourgaize assured him that he could go with perfect safety to the party, as he would not be troubled by the lice again, and the event proved this correct, i^)